Thy will be Done...the Wayfarer 3/15/19

Hide Me Rock of Ages

Psalm 18:1-3 King James Version (KJV)

18 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.

² The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

³ I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

The Rock of Ages… the cornerstone rejected that became the building block upon which the foundation of FAITH must be built… nothing less than Christ Jesus!

Once again, chance conversation with two friends on separate occasions about two seemingly far different subjects prompts me to once more attempt to preach the absolute simplicity of the gospel.

The first conversation was in regard to the capacity of a neophyte to comprehend complex ideas in a particular study enjoined regularly by others far more versed in the subject matter at hand and the necessity to first establish the foundation for that study.

The second was similar in nature, but involved even more complex “building blocks” found in various writings being pursued currently in addition to an ongoing study of the scriptures that attempt to “clarify” those scriptures.

This led to my own woolgathering about yet a third friend, who has sought diligently for a long time to establish that same clarity of FAITH, daily fighting a battle, now for life itself, and continuing to fight the battle for complete clarity of that FAITH as well.

The “building blocks” that are used by any are quite useless, unless they begin with the “chief cornerstone”

Ephesians 2:19-22

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁹ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

²⁰ And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

²¹ In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

²² In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

It is that “Chief Cornerstone”, alone, that provides for the beginning and ending of any means of education, illumination, and edification that is to be found by those seeking to find eternal life, and those having found it as well.

Jesus reminded us frequently of the necessity to build only on the rock that has been given us for that purpose, stating in the sermon on the mount;

Matthew 7:24-27 King James Version (KJV)

²⁴ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

²⁵ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

²⁶ And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

²⁷ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

If we are to expect the blessing requested in the title of the hymn used for today’s dissertation, that rock that was rejected must first be accepted as that chief cornerstone… and the message delivered by that chief cornerstone must also be accepted before building can commence or come to completion.

Mark 12:1-11 King James Version (KJV)

12 And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

² And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

³ And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

⁴ And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.

⁵ And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.

⁶ Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

⁷ But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.'

⁸ And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

⁹ What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.

¹⁰ And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

¹¹ This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Where then is that stone to be found, if not in the message preached by Jesus continually throughout His ministry of repentance being the means to redemption?

It is an old message that has been preached since the beginning, obfuscated through the millennia, too often forgotten, too often ignored, too often refused by too many.

The prophets all preached that same message, clearly and concisely to a stubborn and stiffnecked people who failed to see it for what it was, and continually suffered the consequences of that refusal.

Yet, there were a few who heard and heeded that message, reaping the reward of having done so, clinging constantly to the promise that came with the warning.

Ninevah was spared for having heard the message of warning delivered by Jonah, despite Jonah’s failure to comprehend the very reason for that message being delivered.

The sacrifice demanded by the old covenant was met through the grace delivered through the new covenant, making the necessity of further sacrifice mute and to no further avail, but the necessity of the faith in that sacrifice having been offered is still an ongoing necessity gained only by the same means of repentance being given in return for the redemption offered through that sacrifice.

Ephesians 2:8-10King James Version (KJV)

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Faith must begin and end on the building block established by Christ Jesus if it is to be effectual and have meaning.

It is on that Rock of Ages that the foundation must be laid, and cannot exist without first accepting the cornerstone given for establishment, the whole of that cornerstone, that cannot be chipped away into gravel.

All else remains useless unless the mortar of FAITH binds it to that ROCK of Ages, then and only then will the request made in this old hymn be effective.

Rock of ages, hide thou me

Oh, thou blessed rock of ages
Hiding my dear soul indeed
When the storm around me rages
Rock of ages hide thou me

Hide me, oh, blessed rock of ages
'Till Thy blessed face I see
When the storm around me rages
Rock of ages, hide thou me

When my journey is completed
And there's no more work to do
Jesus guide my weary spirit
Happy land beyond the blue

Hide me, oh, blessed rock of ages
'Till Thy blessed face I see
When the storm around me rages
Rock of ages, hide thou me

Hide me, oh, blessed rock of ages
'Till Thy blessed face I see
When the storm around me rages
Rock of ages, hide thou me

Rock of ages, hide thou me

2 Timothy 1:12

King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen

CMc